The Asurs’ remembrance of their ancestors: A ‘particularly vulnerable’ tribal group – Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh & West Bengal

Chamru is an Asur, a ‘particularly vulnerable tribal group’ that dominates Sakhuapani’s population of about 2,000 and lives in villages spread over a radius of 10 to 20 km. Besides Jharkhand, members of the tribe live in pockets of Bihar, West Bengal and a few other states. The 2011 Census put the number of Asurs at … Read more

Old seed festival “a wonderful example of community and NGOs participation” – Andhra Pradesh

Old seed festival, being organised by Sajeevani in association with Samata and CRYNET, is a wonderful example of community and NGOs participation which ensures that farmers get quality seed, said Principal Scientist of National Bureau of Plant Gentic Resource’s Regional Centre at Hyderabad B. Sarath Babu about the programme held at Panasavalasa, 25 km from … Read more

A historical plea to ‘secure the advancement of the tribals without disturbing the essential harmony of their life and secure their integration without imposition’: Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes Commission – Government of India

Indians are truly rooted in an ethos of living in harmony with their land. There was a time when the Indian subcontinent was carpeted in green… watered by glacial rivers, blessed by rolling hills and productive grasslands, lush rainforests and wave-kissed mangroves. All creatures, great and small, found niches here and thrived. Varied cultures were … Read more

Video | The story behind the song “Kiạ Baha’ by Boro Baski – West Bengal

My life was a bit different than a normal Santal boy of our village. After completing my masters I did my doctoral research on Social Work from Visva-Bharati University and founded a social organization with the youth of my village and some like-minded friends from Santiniketan. After completing higher studies I traveled extensively in the … Read more